Sairat Director: I Knew Sairat Will Change My Life, But Not To This Extent!

Nagaraj Manjule suddenly finds himself the claimant of the enviable position of being the director of the highest grossing Marathi film of all times.

Sairat, a searing indictment of caste discrimination , features two absolutely unknown untried  faces in the lead. Made at a reported cost of Rs 4 crores  the film has already grossed more than Rs 50 crores.

And it’s still early times.

The film’s shy director Nagaraj Manjule, no stranger to fame as his first feature film Fandry was highly acclaimed, is not comfortable with the sudden upsurge of public attention.His phone is switched off  during most of the day as he has strangers calling up to discuss the film and characters .

Says Nagraj, “Maharashtrians have embraced the film as if they own the characters. Sairat is not a film for them. It is a part of their lives.”

What surprises Nagraj is the way non-Maharashtrians have taken to the film. “This is most unexpected. I knew the film would make an impact. But I never knew it would cross the language barrier so easily and in such overwhelming numbers. Today when Aamir Khan or Irrfan tweets about the  film it’s a huge thing for me.”

Nagraj who comes from a very humble background says Sairat was a story that had to be told. “I knew it would make an impact because this not just story written to accommodate a film. Its theme of intercaste relationship and marriage connects with our entire country. So I won’t pretend  the success was unexpected. In fact I had warned my two lead actors that it would be near-impossible for them to step out of their homes alone once the film is released. I told them to enjoy the freedom of movement as long as they were shooting.”

How Nagaraj chose two completely unknown untried faces of Akash Thosar and Rinku Rajguru to play the lead is another story. “My brother saw Akash on the street and told me he is the boy I am looking for to playParshya in my film. I met Akash . He was so shy he could barely mumble a few words.But it didn’t take much persuasion to  get him on board.As for Rinku Rajguru she is the daughter of a lady I know in my village. I knew she was Archie the minute I saw her.”

Nagaraj worked extensively with his two principal actors to ensure they got the rhythm right. ‘It was important for them to not look like actors. They had to transform into the two protagonists Akash and Archie. Luckily for my film , this is exactly what happened. Audiences see  them as the characters.”

Though many moments in the couple’s courtship and togetherness has a ring of authenticity Nagraj says he hasn’t borrowed that much from his own life this time. “Yes, I am from a backward section of society, just like my hero. In some way or another both my films have touched on caste discrimination.But my first feature filmFandry was far more personal. It was almost like my own story. Sairat is far less personal . I haven’t borrowed from my own  life, except that I’ve been rejected in  love because I was unworthy of the girl. The sequence where Parshya places flowers on Archie’s chappals when she is inside the temple is taken from my own life. Yes, I’ve done that for a girl. It’s amazing what love can make one do!”

Nagraj stoutly denies being  inspired by Bollywood   lovestories Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak and Ek Duuje KeLiye, as reported in sections of the press. “So many interviews have put words in my mouth. I’ve never saidSairat is a homage to these Bollywood  love stories. I’ve grown up watching Bollywood  films. Rather than being inspired by them I’ve absorbed the pitfalls of commercial cinema and how to avoid them in my cinema. So I’d say Bollywood  has taught me what not to do rather than what to do in my cinema.”

Sairat and its message of social discrimination have touched millions of hearts by now. Nagraj hopes to do many more films about social inequality. There is talk of remaking  Sairat into various languages. But at the moment Nagraj shoots down all such speculation. “Right now we should just allow Sairat to grow. Its reach has exceeded anything any of us had ever hoped for. We are now sitting  back to see where Sairat is heading.We are enjoying the journey.”